Unhindered Love
by Osoji Nosferatu
Summary: Wherein Shinichi never gets inhabited by Migi and lives out his normal high schooling days. His interactions with Murano will go unhindered by horrifying events, and maybe they'll develop something a little more than the friends they've always been. Rated K . Rating may change in the future. DISCONTINUED
1. Secluded Cafe

**AN: I really, really wanted to be the first to do this and it looks like I am. :) I wanted to give Shinichi and Murano a normal life so their relationship can go unhindered. ShiniAno is one of my favorite ships hands-down and I want to try and give their blossoming relationship justice. The chapters will be short, around 1000 words each, so you can expect the chapters to be somewhat frequent. (Two a week at most, the reason for this being that I have an Akame ga Kill fic that's high maintenance, not to mention a Nisekoi oneshot series, school, and Fire Emblem.) Either way, I hope you enjoy me on this little adventure! I have plans for it to be around 50 chapters, so eventually, it'll get to 50k+ words. Enjoy!**

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Summary: Wherein Shinichi never gets inhabited by Migi and lives out his normal high schooling days. His interactions with Murano will go unhindered by horrifying events, and maybe they'll develop something a little more than the friends they've always been.

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Izumi flopped onto his bed, letting his backpack fall off of his tired shoulders with a soft thump. He sighed, contemplating why his life was so… painstakingly average. His grades were exceptional, yes, but nothing other than that stood out. His athletic ability was subpar, his social skills were nearly unevident, and his family didn't have any interesting quirks to their credit. So what was he to do?

What any other high-schooler would have done. Use the Internet.

Izumi logged into his computer with another sigh. Sure, his room was sparsely furnished, but it felt very home-y and he was very grateful his parents installed the desktop in his room for his own personal enjoyment. More than often; however, he'd use it solely for schoolwork, as he'd never been the gaming type; he was fine with that, since he knew how stereotypes were assigned to video-game loving boys.

Randomly clicking on links, and accidentally clicking on a sketchy-looking one, Shinichi thanked god that he had a good Firewall; that could have very well been a nasty virus that he'd clicked on. Somehow, he found a website for a cafe that he'd never been to which was relatively close to his house. With a push of his feet, he got up and went to examine his backpack. Hm… trig, geology, and biology, but other than that, his backpack was empty. Rather than sit in his room like on all other normal days, he decided he'd try the cafe out. See if their drinks were any good. While he was at it, he figured he'd get a little homework done in a social environment. After all, it was pretty typical for a high-schooler to work on his/her homework in a cafe, restaurant, or somewhere public, as they usually wanted a change of pace from their typical desk in their rooms.

Shinichi entered the address of the place into his smartphone and began to walk out of the door. His mother, who was preparing dinner, called out to him.

"Izumi-kun, where are you going? Dinner will be ready in an hour or two," she said while looking up at him, concern in her eyes. She looked at his backpack and, as a mother would, worried that he was running away.

Shinichi chuckled. "It's okay, _kah-san. _I'm just going to a cafe to work on my homework. Is that all right?"

His mother looked very relieved. "Oh, yes, dear. That's perfectly fine," she stated as she turned back towards the chicken she was preparing. "Just be home before dark. You know I don't like you wandering around at night, especially with the… outbreak of weird creatures inhabiting humans lately."

"Don't worry, mom, I'll be back before then."

"OK. Be safe, dear."

Izumi nodded and turned to walk out the door. As he walked, he couldn't help but admire the simplicity of where he lived. If anything were to happen to him, he'd surely go crazy.

Within a few minutes, Shinichi was at the door of the cafe. It was dimly lit and small in the whole swing of things, but he thought it felt comfortable. The window was just a little dirtier than a normal cafe's would have been, and the door creaked a little too loudly when he opened it. However, his thoughts changed immediately when he walked through the door and saw a familiar patch of short, brown hair sitting in front of him, hunched over a book and scribbling furiously on a piece of paper.

"_Murano? W-what's she doing here?" _

__As if on cue, like this was an anime, she turned and greeted him with a small smile. "Hi, Izumi."

"H-hello, Murano. How are you doing?" he asked, adjusting his glasses while trying to remain nonchalant. It failed.

"I'm all right… but I'm having so much trouble with trig this year. See?" she said, holding up a piece of paper with a hole in it. "I've had to erase so much, I've put a hole through the darn thing! Now I have to start over…" she muttered, glaring at the cursed tree-in-paper form. She sighed and motioned for him to sit down.

"You're smart, Izumi. Can you help me with this problem?" she asked, pointing to a rather complicated problem involving lots of degrees, angles, and vectors.

"Oh, that. Sure," he said softly, removing his glasses so he could see the paper better.

As he explained, he quickly found himself longing for a drink of something, making him abruptly stand up. "I- I'm kind of thirsty, so do you want anything? I'll buy."

"Mm? Oh! Izumi, that'd be great! Can I just have a coffee with lots of cream?" she replied, smiling at him with appreciation in her eyes.

Izumi couldn't believe it. He was buying a beverage for the girl he liked! If he wasn't in a social setting, he'd surely faint from happiness! He purchased the coffee with extra cream and a mango-pineapple smoothie for himself and sat down by Murano once again.

"You know, this is pretty nice, this place, you helping me, and all. Can we meet here tomorrow? I've looked at tomorrow's lesson and I really don't think I can do it on my own," she stated sadly, pointing to the next lesson in her book.

"Um, sure!" Izumi replied hurriedly. He didn't want to miss a chance to spend time with Murano, but he also didn't know how well he'd hold up socially. He sighed mentally. Maybe this was what he needed to break out of his shell. Maybe this could make him more social to everyone.

Maybe it could hurt him. But with Murano, that was a chance he was more than willing to take right away.

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**AN: So, I hope you liked it. This, in itself, down to its core, is a series of oneshots that follow the storyline of MuranoxIzumi. So please, leave me review, follow, favorite, and leave ideas for what you want me to do with the two pre-lovebirds! Thanks in advance!**

**The Slain Executioner, slashing out. **


	2. Canker Sores

**AN: This is told with Murano being the main point of the story. Every chapter will alter the focus between Shinichi and Murano. **

**Purplehippo47: I'm disappointed that the anime isn't more popular, and I'm glad for those that like it too. And thank you as well, good sir. I'm trying to redeem myself after blundering horribly with my AgK fic xD**

**bluebloodblues: Aw, thanks! I've always been better at adorable and the cutesys rather than the deep plot or storyline. Don't worry, in his chapter, he got even dorkier for some reason. It's like I'm pulling out their stereotypes lodged inside of them and expanding on them with this story. I want to hug them both and say that they're perfect for each other! Hopefully Kiseijuu will see this :3**

**ssj4gohan5****: Ah my loyal buddy. I may incorporate Kana into this somehow if I can find the time. Thanks so much as always!**

**Here we are at chapter 2. Leave a follow, drop a favorite, and please, above all review! (I am become the king of poetry.)**

**/**

"Oh man, I just can't get over how good their coffees are," Murano sighed, savoring the tangy, bitter taste of the coffee mixed with the creamy delight of the cream. She replaced the lid and frowned at the next problem that she needed help with. Even Shinichi had his mouth twisted in confusion before sighing and standing up.

"Murano, I don't think I can get this one. Sorry," Shinichi apologized, shrugging and smiling apologetically. He sipped his smoothie and was surprised to find that this secluded cafe in the middle of nowhere had very realistic-tasting pineapple. Almost too real, in fact. As he sipped, he realized a strange burning sensation on the tip of his tongue. It felt like a burn, but it wasn't that, exactly.

Canker sores!

"Gah!" Izumi whisper-shrieked, clutching his tongue in the surprisingly painful sensation. "The pineapple must be real, then!"

The woman working behind the counter in her mid-twenties, rushed out from behind her workstation and set a cold glass of water in front of this. "Here, honey. Sorry about that. This's happened to a few guests in the past," she explained all while scratching her head in slight amusement.

"Oh." Shinichi shrugged as he held the cool glass to his lips and drank. "It's okay. I mean, I guess I didn't know…" he sheepishly replied.

"I'll have to talk to management about the… potency of their pineapples. Anyway, I'm sorry, hon," the woman stated and walked back to her workstation where she continued to look quite bored.

Shinichi, whose tongue had decided to calm down and revert to its normal tasting state, looked over at Murano, who was trying very, very hard to hide a smile.

She was failing very, very miserably.

"Hn? Murano, what's so funny?"

She giggled, unable to control herself any longer. "You, silly! You get a smoothie, talk all serious about trig, and then you get a canker sore," she giggled again while speaking, causing Shinichi to blush.

"Hey! I couldn't have known!"

"I know, silly. I know," Murano sighed. She remembered the times where they'd hang out together, back in junior high. No pressure to date, no probing friends, no nothing. Just the two of them having a really nice time.

Like they were having now.

"Mm…" she sighed, looking into her coffee cup.

"Are you still hung over that coffee? It looks like normal ol' caffeinated sustenance to me," Shinichi stated drily with an air of humor about his words. Murano caught the air and giggled in response.

"Nope, Izumi-kun. I was just remembering how nice it is to spend time with you." Seeing no response from the now-blushing teenager, she continued. "Remember when we were in junior high? Those days were my favorites days."

"We hung out all the time, didn't we?"

"We 'most certainly' did, as you'd put it," she stated with a slight smirk. He frowned.

"Do I really sound that uptight?" he muttered, scratching his chin. She couldn't tell if he was being dead-serious or light as a feather.

"Nope, you don't. You sound smart," she replied. "Unlike me. I wish I could sound smart. Then people would acknowledge me when I speak."

"Even though I speak a little funnily, and by funnily, I mean more intelligently, according to the culture's standards, Murano, that doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to be noticed by all when I talk…" Shinichi said, sadly lowering his head just a few centimeters when he said those words.

"It's just 'cause you're shy, Izumi-kun."

"You think so?"

"Well, not around me, at least. But I do noticed how your answers are super short and concise when you're called on in class," she thought aloud, tilting her head in the process. He'd always been like that, no matter how old they were when they knew each other. "And we both know you've got the brains to go on for a much longer time, y'know."

"R-really? You think?"

"I know! Look, I know we sound like the completely typical teen who can't see his own abilities and his friend who sees them, but it's really true! Sure, you may not be the most athletic, but what are their chances of playing pro sports?"

"Actually, their chances are-" Shinichi began to launch into a long-winded talk of probability, but Murano cut his off by stealing his smoothie.

"Hush now, or I'll give you another canker sore!" she angrily stated with fiery humor in her eyes. She smiled, letting him know her true intentions.

"..."

"Good. As I was saying, you've got a much better chance of being way more successful than the jocks who can't tell a vector from a quadrant. Heck, even I know that!" Murano encouraged, somewhat bashing herself in the process.

"You just need to practice more, then you'll be better than I could ever be," Shinichi said, noticing the way Murano worded her 'compliment.'

"I doubt it," she shrugged. "Anyway, Shinichi, I've been thinking a bit about how long we've been friends."

"It's ... nice, isn't it? We've stayed connected even after the trials of high school tear most junior-high friendships apart."

"Yeah! So I was thinking we should promise something to each other."

"Yes?"

"Let's make a promise to never drift in friendship during high school!" she said, lopsidedly smiling as she looked for his approval.

"I like that idea. I don't want to lose the few friends I have," Shinichi said.

"That's kind of sad when you think about it. Pinky swear?"

Shinichi held out his pinky finger and grasped it in his own. "Pinky swear, Satomi."

"It's been a while since you called me by my first name, Sheech," she mumbled happily to him, using the nickname they established long ago.

"D-don't call me that anymore!" Shinichi exclaimed, blushing. He was ashamed of the nickname Murano used for him long ago.

"Fine, fine…"

The two sat in awkward silence, which was very predictable considering their true natures. Shinichi broke the silence.

"W-would you want to… meet like this again? Same place?" he nervously stuttered, hoping his childhood friend didn't get the wrong idea.

Satomi sighed internally. While she loved the idea of spending more time with him, she wasn't sure he- and herself- was ready to handle a relationship just yet, even though there was the long-lasting bond of childhood friendship. Her thoughts drifted to her friend who was hurt terribly by her former boyfriend. She shook the thoughts from her head. She knew Shinichi wasn't like that. Summoning a bright smile, she replied brightfully and cheerfully.

"I'd love that, Shinichi. I'll call you the next time trig is too hard for me."

Deep down she knew that she was horribly unprepared to deal with the potential romantic feelings that would inevitably come along with what they were about to embark on. However, to her surprise, she wasn't made uncomfortable with the thought of struggling through her feelings with Shinichi.

It made her feel welcomed and strong, something she hadn't felt since she last spent time with him on a regular basis.

/

**AN: Well, sorry for the stereotypical conversation. Leave a review please! Thanks so much for reading!**


	3. Satomi's Guilty Pleasure

**AN: Satomi is the focus once again! We didn't see too many of her thoughts last time. Also, I apologize for any inaccurate facts. This is an AU, so a couple things may change. I'm going to build Murano's home life from the ground up, giving her a few more things to work through with the help of our dorky hero. Shinichi is probably going to encounter some problems that weren't there in the anime/manga, so be prepared for that. After all, I HOLD THE POWER HERE, FOOLISH MORTAL! MUAHA- I let my inner Noire get to me. Sorry. **

… **if someone got that reference, please let me know.**

**Review responses:**

**bluebloodblues: I'm super glad you enjoy this! I watch the show, longing for them to hook up as well... it's so sad. At least they kissed in the anime. Dorky "Sheechi" is my favorite version of him. I wish he could still be badass 'n all, but stay timid. It'd make him so much more enjoyable. He's turned into a stereotypical boy who's gone through too much in anime. Try not to squeal too much! ;) (Innuendo city) Well, I'm sorry that I can't do anything about the length. They're supposed to be short and allow the reader to relax for a little while while reading, myself included, only in the writing aspect. But I thank you greatly! Your support is really, really appreciated! :D **

**Be warned: This chapter is a little sadder.**

**Chapter 3 of Unhindered Love is here! Enjoy! Leave a review, follow and favorite! Thanks a bunch!**

**Bonus cookie from the writer: If you can name all the references I made in this chapter I'll give you a hug and a cookie, **

**/**

"I've missed those interactions too much."

Satomi reluctantly neared her door and pushed open the gate that guarded her house, much like Shinichi's. Unlike his family, hers was… strained, at best. Her father was away on business nearly every second of the day, and her mother was distant from her. They still had a mother-daughter relationship, of course, but it was very strained to her and she didn't like the tension she always felt around her mom. So, she stayed away from home as often as she could without getting into trouble. The few friends she had were usually not allowed free-roaming, except Shinichi. His parents trusted him and they seemed to have a great parent-son relationship.

She envied him, which was nothing new. She'd always been jealous of his academic ability and the gift of saying the best things at the worst times ever since they met. It was a wonder, to her, why he liked hanging around her. Maybe he was just lonely. While she branched out in junior high, he stayed recluded, working on homework and reading by himself in his room. While she liked the dorky aspect to him a lot, she wished he'd get out and live a couple times, at least. Even introverts-at-heart like herself needed to get out once in a while for some fresh air.

Satomi walked through her door and was greeted with the sight of her mother sleeping, slouched over on the counter. Several cans of _sake _lay scattered around her, completely empty. Murano sighed. Her mother had taken to drinking after her husband was gone for so long. She hid the addiction from her husband and made sure he never discovered her discarded cans throughout the house.

"Gotta stay high… all the time… to keep you off my mind," she mumbled, remembering the words to one of her favorite English songs. Satomi grimaced at her passed-out mother in disgust mixed with sympathy. The teen knew how hard it was to be away from someone she appreciated and loved for a long time. The chocolate-haired teen made her way to her room, a small compartment in the back of their house that was cozy and warm, but sparsely furnished like Shinichi's. The moment you walked into her room, you were greeted with large posters of her own drawings hanging on the walls. A twin-sized bed, neatly made with a maroon comforter was in the left corner. A dresser full of her clothing was in the right corner. In the only other corner of her room, there was a rolltop desk with the latest Razer gaming laptop. A guilty pleasure of Satomi's had been gaming ever since her mother fell into the bottle. She glanced at her high-end headphones from said gaming company. Those had cost a fortune! At least they were worth it, producing crisp bass and precise highs, mixed with spot-on mids.

The high-schooler sighed and threw her backpack onto her bed, letting it slightly sink into the memory foam. Aside from trig, which Shinichi and herself had finished, biology was all that she had. Mentally tallying how much time she had before she needed to go to bed, she figured that she had a few hours to game before she attacked her biology. After all, she excelled in the subject, scoring A's on nearly every assignment and test.

Satomi fired up her Razer Blade, watching as it sparked to life and displayed her wallpaper of her favorite TV show, depicting a boy with brunette hair holding a broadsword with a dragon's eye in the hilt and a dangling chain at the end. She clicked an icon and booted up a game revolving around staying alive in a pizzeria while fending off bloodthirsty animatronics. After accomplishing nothing for a few hours, she rubbed her eyes in frustration.

"Who knew the later levels could be so hard?" she mumbled, gingerly setting her headphones on her desk and standing up to go check on her mom. Satomi moved through the hallway and saw that her mother was awake and moving around the kitchen.

With a small smile, her mother greeted her surprisingly normally. "How was your day, Sattie-chan?"

Satomi blushed at the nickname her mother assigned to her. "Ka-san, don't call me that," she mumbled, shaking her head in embarrassment. "Anyway, my day was really fun. I hung out with Izumi-kun at a cafe today."

"So that's where you were."

"I, um, actually came home a few hours ago."

"Hmm?" her mother stopped and looked at her with a disapproving look in her eyes. "You need to stop gaming, Satomi," she stated seriously with a grim expression.

"Mom, I will as soon as you stop drinking so much," Satomi replied, matter-of-factly.

"... don't speak of the way I deal with my depression!" her mom snapped, making Satomi jump in surprise. "You know what, forget it all! Make your own dinner!" she yelled, storming off into the hallway. She shut the door to the master bedroom with a loud _bang. _

Satomi laid her head down on the countertop and quietly cried. This isn't what she wanted from her family. Not at all. She wanted her father home and her mother sane. The last thing she wanted was to have to hide from her mother behind a computer screen, trying to conceal the fact from herself that she now feared the one who raised her.

"I'm no better than mom," she softly acknowledged, letting her tears stain the laminated countertop. Satomi glanced at her phone and saw a text from Shinichi had arrived just a few minutes ago, while she was talking to her mom. It read:

"_You okay? Your mom's been acting kind of strange lately."_

"Sheechi… you need to stop being so perceptive," she sadly smiled and shook her head. She'd reply in a second, but she needed to get the grief out of her system with a good cry. Having someone close to you with you always made it feel better, but she didn't have anyone. Except…

Except a dorky boy who was longtime friends with her.

She sighed and picked up the phone to call him back. The emotional young woman could really use some right things said to her.

Especially since this was one of her worst times.

/

**AN: Hope you liked! See you in the next chapter!**


	4. Expulsion

**AN: So, sorry about the big break. I'm grounded, and if you follow my profile you would've known that. Anyways, moving on, this time around I decide to focus on Satomi once again, sicne I'm giving her story. Not much else than that, except it's sad. You've been warned. :P **

/

"Satomi! Satomi, are you okay?" Shinichi worriedly asked, concern lacing his words. "You sound so upset!"

"I am, Shinichi."

"Why?"

"My mom's… fallen into the bottle, so to speak, and she's not very nice about her conditions..."

"What?! Truly?" Izumi was relatively shocked; her mother had seemed kind enough whenever they hung out in the past.

"Yeah… this happened after my dad started to be away all the time on business. I don't want to be around her anymore because she scares me now," Murano sighed, her breath hitching as she spoke. She felt slightly uncomfortable, being unacquainted to telling others about her personal struggles. Murano had always dealt with them on her own, leaving her unsure how to proceed when an opportunity for outside help was given to her.

"Can I help somehow? Is she abusive?"

"Nothing I can't handle," the teen replied hastily, getting somewhat defensive about her own bottled-up feelings.

"Do you want to come over to my house until she calms down?" Shinichi suggested, his own voice raising in tone a bit. She could hear uncomfortable shuffling in the background, letting her assume that he was just as nervous about inviting her as she was about going to his house.

"Shinichi, it's eight-thirty! People will find it socially unacceptable!" Murano protested, saying this only out of token resistance. Truthfully, she'd like nothing more than to go over to his house, grab a hot chocolate, and talk the night away. And maybe let him try out her laptop once she felt better, because in truth, she knew he'd make her feel better, and not in the socially unacceptable way. She thought it'd be adorable to watch as he tried to play Five Nights at Freddy's and watch him get terrified at the scares. She knew they were a bit much, even for her. And she loved horror!

"I'd have to ask my mom, but I'm fairly certain she'd say yes. She loves you, you know," Shinichi mumbled into his phone, blushing at the mere mention of the word 'love.'

"D-does she now? I'm glad," Satomi replied just as timidly.

There was an awkward pause between the two, as if it was a recurring theme. Finally, Murano broke the ice and spoke. "Want me to bring anything over with me?" She was already beginning to feel better, just by being on the phone with him.

"Uh… could you bring your laptop? I want to try that game you were talking to me about."

Bingo.

"Thought you weren't the gaming type, Sheech," Murano giggled, walking in the direction of her cozy little room to pack her laptop.

"I'm not! It's normal for friends to take interest in their friend's interests," he tried to reason, but Satomi knew he was just curious and she liked flustering him, after all.

"I… didn't follow that statement at all," Murano replied, getting lost in Shinichi's interesting way of speaking. She laughed good-naturedly.

"Don't worry. I'll explain when you get here, Satomi. Oh, hey! My mom said it was all right if you came to visit!"

"Really?!" she exclaimed, ecstatic. "That's awesome! I'll be there as soon as I can!"

"Yeah! I'll see you soon, Satomi," Shinichi happily said. He hung up the phone, leaving the young woman to smile to herself, amidst the pain and internal conflicts.

"This is exactly what I need; a good friend and time to talk," Satomi whispered to herself.

"Too bad you aren't going anywhere," a voice said behind her, snarkily.

"M-mom!" Satomi jumped in surprise, half of her emotions turning to rage, half turning to fear.

"You won't be going to Izumi's house. You will stay here and finish your homework," her mother stated firmly, drunkenness still evident in her voice.

"Mom. I need to talk to people about the troubles I have!" Satomi blurted, nearly breaking down into tears again.

"Then you'll do it alone. Your problems are nothing compared to mine. Think of someone else for a change," her mother stated somewhat hypocritically.

"Mom!" Satomi cried, angrily glaring at her mother. "At least I'm handling my issues in a healthy way!" As soon as the words flew out of her mouth, she knew she'd face serious repercussions later on. Instantly, she regretted saying anything.

"Murano."

By now, Satomi knew all the damage that could have been done was done, leaving her with nothing but bitterness and unbridled rage. Uncharacteristically, she replied with words laced with sarcasm and malice.

"Yeah, that's our name. What of it?" she said as she glared at her mother.

"Get out."

"What?"

"Take your backpack and leave."

"What?"

"You heard me. Pack whatever you need and get out of my house. Your problems are insignificant to mine."

"What was that about thinking of others, huh? Where did that statement go?" Satomi screamed, tears streaming down her face. Nothing could pacify the situation now. Knowing she was no longer going to be around her mom, she thought it a good idea to make sure her mother knew she was horribly wrong.

Even if her mother retracted her statement, she'd never come back.

"I have. Like I said, they're insignificant to mine."

"Mom…!" Satomi remembered all the blissful memories that their tiny family of three shared when she was younger. The laughter, joy, and happiness would never return. Their family was shattered into three columns and would remain that way forevermore. Memories kept flashing back. Rather than stay and dwell in pain in front of her mother, she flew into her room, tossed some clothes, laptop, mouse, and headphones into her backpack, and made her way to the door- slowly.

Satomi turned to see her mother facing her when she bent to pick up her coat. "Are the memories we experienced so long ago worth nothing to you?!" she lashed out, breath hitching in her lungs.

"Just… go." Her mother turned her head away and her voice sounded distant.

Was that pain she head in her mother's voice?

The now-homeless teen opened the door and smiled sadly. "They're worth a lot to me, _ka-san." _

Satomi walked through the door and began her way down the block.

She didn't look back.

/

**AN: Hope you liked it. Favorite, follow, and review please! Thanks a ton!**


	5. Chiseling

**AN: First and foremost: There's an important message at the bottom once you finish reading, so check that out, please. **

**So, to set the mood for the story, I will be posting a recommended song list for reading the chapter from now on. More specifically, the songs I listened to while reading this. (Probably will be recycled, I listen to a lot of the stuff on the radio (pop) and dubstep.) I got this idea (a music list) from smileplease91, a great author who's prominent on the Fire Emblem archive. Go check her out; she's cool in writing and in PM.**

**If you can name the movie where I pulled the acronym from, I'll give you a cookie of your choice!**

**Songs I listened to: (These songs will most likely be rebooted whenever I update this chapter; which means that I'll probably use these same songs when I write the next chapter.)**

**Sam Smith- Lay Me Down (Not the new radio version, the older one where it has a swing-y feel to it.) **

**Sam Smith (Again) - I'm Not the Only One **

**Sam Smith (It's a pattern.) - Stay With Me (Sam Tsui cover) **

**Varien ft Aloma Steele - Moonlight (Rock mixed with a little electro. The verses are amazingly beautiful.) **

**Pentatonix - Mary, Did You Know? **

**Sia - Chandelier (Sam Tsui cover) **

**John Legend ft Lindsey Stirling - All of Me (This song, I swear. Why'd I listen to it? Oh yeah. To bring back the feels for a better chapter :'( **

**Tove Lo- Habits (Julia Price cover. Julia Price manages to turn a silly-sounding pop song into an emotionally driven track full of feels and sweet, swinging goodness.)**

**That about does it for songs, I guess. Take your pick; the options are ample. **

**Review responses: **

**asteelyman13: There isn't much else to say that I didn't in the PM. However, I'm very confident that you'll like this chapter, since I basically ripped the emotional part from something that happened in my life. Thanks for reviewing! **

**bluebloodblues: Dude/ette, you need to make an account so I can PM you. Your wish that you stated in the review will come true. :) I think everyone will be surprised at what I have planned for Murano. Hey! I played FNAF2 for the first time on Wednesday and I discovered that I could beat Night 3 in three tries for my friend who'd been struggling with it for a while. I have a more spastic rhythm than Pewdiepie; however, my friend's gaming mouse is WAY too sensitive compared to my non-gaming one. Ergo, I… messed up on throwing up my mask vs camera, winding the box, etc. That's probably what screwed me over when I died twice xD That game gets me so tense! When I get my own laptop (that has more than 2 GB or fricken RAM) I can only imagine how fast my heart'll get on Night 5. (Not even considering Nights 6/7 yet.) **

**Well, with that outta the way, I ask that you leave a review, follow, and favorite. My thankfulness doesn't change if you don't review, but if you do, I can personally express my thanks. So, let me personally express my thanks to all you stealth readers out there!**

**Warning: This chapter is longer than the previous ones. Also, emotional content involved. If you are ill-equipped to handle the feels I ask you to leave. You have been warned. ;) **

**Chapter 5: Chiseling**

**Enjoy, my readers! Thanks a boatload, as always! :) **

"Oh man, oh man, oh man…" Shinichi muttered over and over whilst pacing around his room. If one looked closely enough, they could probably see the beginnings of an indent from how frequently he was pacing. He knew he shouldn't be nervous; it was just Murano, after all. But he didn't know how to deal with the pressure that she'd just been kicked out of her housing establishment for no good reason at all, and that fact made him simultaneously angry as well as nervous. Not a good combination for Shinichi, of all people.

With a huge sigh, he sat down in his swivel chair and began to spin slowly. Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths and tried to calm his raging heartbeat. "_All right, all right… you_ _can do this, Shin. It's only Murano; she doesn't judge. Just try to act like it's a normal encounter only with compassion laced throughout my emotions to her." _

He sighed again. No, this just wouldn't do. What was that saying he heard so long ago? Shinichi strained his intellectual brain to remember. "The best things…" he paused, unsure of what came next. "The best things… come to us… unexpectedly!" he exclaimed happily, snapping his fingers. "That was it!"

His celebration was cut short by a knock at his bedroom door. She couldn't be here already, could she?! His confidence flew out of the open window just as quickly as it had came. As if it would have helped, he leaped from his chair and slammed the window shut. More specifically, the screen door.

"Shinichi? Can I come in for a sec?" his mom asked, concern lacing her words. What could she want?

"Yeah, ka-san. Come on in," he replied, sitting back down in his chair and trying to busy himself with his computer. His efforts failed him, however.

The mother of the Izumi household came in with a tray of two glasses of iced tea. "It's strawberry-lemonade mixed with iced tea, honey," she exclaimed, setting the tray down on his nightside table. She turned to him, immediately noticing the nervous expression on his face. "Shinichi? What's wrong?"

"Just a little nervous. mom," Shinichi muttered, resting his head on his computer desk. "I don't know what to say, do, or anything."

His mother pondered his words for a second. "Dear, Murano loves being around you. You make her smile and there isn't anything you should do to try and change that."

"So, just be myself?"

"That's exactly right, Shin. She's most comfortable with the real you, so make her comfortable and show her why she likes being around you." His mother winked, then turned to leave. Was that an implication he heard in her voice? He couldn't be sure, but he was certain he could make out a glint in her eye.

"Myself, huh…?" Shinichi thought aloud. He'd never been extraordinary, at least to him. But maybe Satomi was noticing something that he didn't- or couldn't. This was probably a case of when someone couldn't see the simple good they were doing to someone else.

"Is she all right? She seemed pretty upset when I talked to her on the phone last…" he wondered aloud to no one. "I wonder what happened so that her mother would kick her out of their house…" he muttered, scratching his head in puzzlement. However, he remembered her speaking of her mother falling into the bottle recently. Alcohol… god, that thought was terrifying. Losing others because of yourself when you weren't even fully aware of it yet. Then to be hit with the guilt after the buzz faded! Shinichi shook his head. He couldn't begin to fathom how painful that'd be for himself, let alone Murano. He was sincerely looking forward to helping her out, and to see her again. Something about her just sent him into a state of comfort, like when you eat chocolate while on a diet.

But Shinichi wasn't on a diet, nor was Satomi a variable he needed to avoid. Or was she?

Shinichi rubbed his face in exasperation. "_I can't be thinking like this so soon to her arrival," _he thought. "_I've got to get… myself in gear. Nothing else but myself. I can do this." _

He wondered where this self-confidence came from.

Satomi sighed heavily, to clear her thoughts swirling around in her head. However, they just wouldn't calm down; they were rampant. Noticing she was already a few minutes late, she figured that he wouldn't care- or notice- how flustered she actually was. Yes, she was definitely still flustered, but she felt eerily calm now that she knew she would be around Shinichi. Not just her childhood friend, but his parents as well, whom she was well acquainted with. His mother made her feel loved and welcome, and his dad- well, he was nice, to say the least. Taking one last affirmative sigh, she slowly pressed the snub of plastic protruding from the brick gate.

_Ding… dong…_

Satomi shifted from foot to foot every few seconds as time passed when no one opened the door. Did they forget? Did he not want her? No, that couldn't be right. They were the best of friends; they had been for a long time. Surely he would still welcome her, no matter the situation.

Her thoughts became reality as the door opened and a teenage boy with glasses poked his head out. "Hello? Who's- Satomi! Hi! How are you doing? Are you all right?" he blurted out all at once, clearly flustered with what she had just described to him over the phone an hour prior to their meeting now.

He was so cute! She restrained her thoughts and smiled meekly, though she knew he could ascertain it was fake. "One, hello to you too. Two, I'm doing as well as any girl who just got kicked out of her home. Three, besides a bit emotionally unstable, I'm fine."

"Freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional…" the scholarly boy mumbled, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. Shinichi quoted directly from one of his favorite American films. However, movie or not, the words rang true with Murano, and her emotional barrier was chiseled away slightly under the strain of withholding the rampant sea of turbulence within her. Despite trusting Shinichi fully, like no other, she still felt bad to reveal her weak side to him. A sigh billowed up from inside her; she struggled to withhold it from him.

She failed.

"No kidding…" she softly spoke, shifting on her foot out of embarrassment and nervousness. The young woman felt these two emotions more than ever now, with her being in her junior year of high school. She'd pondered the origins of these emotions but couldn't quite decipher where they came from.

Shinichi saw the inevitable emotions begin to show through her pain-laden, hazel eyes. With a small smile, he opened the gate to his house and beckoned inside. "Satomi, it's chilly out and the living room is a better place to talk. Come on inside," he gently said, motioning to the door.

Full of nervous energy, Satomi followed the equally nervous Shinichi up his stairs. The walk up to the door felt strangely longer than it should have. When the door was softly shut, the sound of it closing reminded her of a vise clamping down on whatever future she'd planned out for herself. With no housing establishment, the chances of her succeeding in school was slim to none, let alone getting a job and working to provide for herself. Just the simple _chnk _of the door shutting chiseled her barrier further. The exhaustion and emotional strife began to show on her face; her eyelids began to droop as the fullness of the situation smacked her in the face.

"Satomi? You look exhausted," Shinichi observed. His own eyes crinkled up with sympathy. He was certain it was difficult for her to go on like this without showing emotional distress. "Saht…" he began, using the childhood nickname he'd assigned her around the same time she began to call him Sheechi. "Y'know, you don't have to be strong anymore. You can go ahead and let the situation chisel your guard away. You know I won't judge you or chastise you."

"Shinichi…" How could he say the same word, chisel, when she was just thinking about it?

"Also, know that whatever happens I'll always be there to support you. I know it's rather cliche, but like you said back at the cafe, it's totally true. If your future is uncertain and you don't know what to do, my family will do our damndest to help you out," he committedly stated, determination burning in his voice. His choice of words did not go unnoticed by Murano, and she lightly giggled, despite how awful she felt.

"Ah, Sheechi. It's been a long time since I heard you swear," she said, covering her mouth with her hand to hide her amusement. But the passages to her soul gave her away her true emotions, making Shinichi feel somewhat bad.

"Ah, yes. I guess it has," he begrudgingly admitted. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry."

"No no, it's okay," Satomi replied, walking over the the couch and flopped down onto the soft material with an exasperated, overwhelmed, and exhausted sigh. "Definitely freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional," she whispered, letting more of her emotional barrier be chipped away by the comfort Shinichi was emitting easing into her pride. She was becoming more and more comfortable showing him her weaker side, almost eliminating the whole necessity for a facade. But that tiny shred of remaining doubt about herself faded away by the second. Her facade almost shattered, but she steeled her nerves and tried to smile.

She turned to him, eyes almost pleading. "Shinichi… what would you do if you were in my situation?" Satomi asked, nearly mumbling the words out of sheer exhaustion. "Also, can I have something to drink, please?"

"Quite unorthodox in your manner of requesting," Shinichi lightly chuckled, trying to make light of situation. He cleared his throat and shook off his own joke. "Ahem. I'd most definitely be freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional," he softly stated. "And I'd be a mess. Satomi, I know you too well to be deceived by your barrier, y'know. I can see you're trying your absolute hardest to withhold your emotions from me. Why, Saht?"

Hot tears of anguish began to well up within Satomi's eyes. Her hazel passages to the soul glinted against the incandescent light as the emotion-turned-liquid became more prevalent. With a quick motion, Satomi stood up abruptly and shook her head furiously. "Shinichi… I want to let my guard down; I really do. But…" she began, glancing at the floor as she spoke. Shinichi leaned forward expectantly, waiting for a response.

"But…?" he very hesitantly asked his childhood friend. Upsetting her further was not something he wanted to do.

"I fear you'll react too greatly to my situation."

"Friends are supposed to react greatly, as you put it, to their friends' turmoil," Shinichi replied, tilting his head slightly in confusion.

"But you'll dwell on it too much, also hurting you when your mind begins to empathize."

The glasses-clad young man pondered that statement for a second. After a few seconds of thought, he looked Satomi square in the eye and said, "That's good, then. If I can empathize with you, I can help bring the pain down for you. After all, I'll be carrying some of your pain to help ease the burden. All right?"

"But I'm concerned for your well-being!" Satomi exclaimed, tears beginning to flow out of her eyes and onto her cheeks. She refused to let her body make a sobbing sound, though, as her will kept her from revealing what little she hadn't yet.

"You're in no position to be concerned about anyone but yourself, Saht," he gently-but-firmly stated, crossing his arms in steadfastness. Shinichi looked sad; he was genuinely concerned for his best friend's welfare. "_Just let me try and help, Sattie. If I can't help I can at least… h-hold you…" _he anxiously thought. Where did this notion come from?

"But… then I'll feel guilty," Satomi continued, trying desperately to think of a reason why she wasn't letting him in- just yet.

"Would you rather feel this intense emotional pain, or little-to-no guilt in a few days, if at all?"

"Shinichi…"

"I'm serious."

"Then… promise you won't be hurt?" he began, glad she could finally let down her guard.

"I promise."

"Swear that you won't neglect anything for my sake, including grades?" Satomi asked, voice trembling and eyes overflowing with tears. She was about ready to crack.

"And… and pledge that… you won't think about me too much?" she asked pleadingly, hoping for the answer she replayed in her head as "_Yes, I won't." _

She got a completely different answer than what she expected.

However, it was eons ahead of what she could have wanted, though.

Shinichi opened his lips and then closed them. Then, he smiled enigmatically. "I can't promise you that, Satomi. It's hard not to think about you when you're down and out like this."

_Tap, tap. _

_Chnk, chnk. _

_Crumble. _

All the stone guarding her inner thoughts and emotions fell away as Shinichi finally managed to chisel his way into her defenses.

Everything faded except for the sight of her childhood friend for Satomi as those words left his mouth. Emotionally overwhelmed, panicked, and distressed, she ruptured under all the strain. "Shinichi!... Shinichi!" she cried, throwing herself at him in a furious, needy hug. "You say everything right when everything's wrong. How?" she asked in between sobs.

"Well…" he began nervously. The brunette boy looked down at the top of the head of his lifelong friend and smiled as he hesitantly pulled her closer to him. "I have a great teacher; in which she's you. You taught me how to be a friend and what it means to have a friend. Thank you, Satomi," he squeaked, himself getting emotional in the process.

He could feel his school uniform dampening from her tears. He didn't care. He simply smiled wider.

She couldn't say anything; all she could do was cry while being held by him.

In that moment, it was all she could have ever asked for.

**AN: So I hope you liked it. This is not unlike a situation I was in with a girl about a year ago, and trust me, as I base Satomi and Shinichi's relationship (Yep, this whole story is gonna be based off of my first romance! It's very sweet a lot of the time, but it was super turbulent and painful other times!) off of my personal experiences, I'll be hurting a lot. But I want to… process my thoughts through the names of "Izumi Shinichi" and "Murano Satomi." So I humbly ask that you respect my story, since it's gonna be extremely personal. However, if you have constructive criticism, I ask that you send it to me or leave it- *clicks tongue* -in the reviews. **

**I really like where this story is headed. I have it planned out for a good chunk, then it's time to go and brainstorm more! So, I'm open to fluffy ideas that can be used for cutesy interactions. Keep in mind that few will make it in, if any at all. But if they do, I'll be sure to give credit where credit's due. Thanks!**

**Well, I'll be off now. See ya in chapter 6!**

_**~The Slain Executioner~**_


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